On This Day In Judy Garland’s Life And Career – August 17

“Miss Garland is arch, pert and michievious, and when it comes to dancing she is immense.” – Gilbert Kanour, “The Pirate” review, 1948

August 17, 1934: The first night of a seven-night engagement for Judy and her sisters, as “The Gumm Sisters” at the Oriental Theater in Chicago.

This was a milestone in Judy’s career as this was the engagement during which George Jessel suggested they change their name from “Gumm” to “Garland.” The name change was too late to affect the newspaper ads, as this clipping proves.

The trio was in Chicago, with mom Ethel, on a working tour of the World’s Fair. They would work their way back home to California in mid-September.

August 17, 1937: This review of Broadway Melody of 1938, plus a four-page spread promoting the film (and mostly its star Robert Taylor via the promotion of a short subject), appeared in the “Film Daily” trade paper.

This is a grand load of entertainment and should click handsomely at the box office. It has a bright, cheery atmosphere, splendid dancing, romance and comedy. Roy Del Ruth’s direction is tops, while Jack Cummings rates credit as the producer.

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Powell head the cast, and of course, do excellent work, but the picture gives George Murphy and Judy Garland their best opportunities to date and they register strongly. Grand trouper Sophie Tucker scores, too, and delivers her popular “Some of These Days.” Charles Igor Gorin sings tow operatic arias in splendid voice. Buddy Ebsen, Billy Gilbert, Willie Howard, Robert Benchley, Barnett Parker, Robert Wildhack, and his sneezing routine, and Helen Troy handle the comedy material effectively.

Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed furnished five songs, with “Yours and Mine” and “Everybody Sings” [sic] scoring solidly. Jack McGowan and Sid Silvers wrote the original story and William Daniels for photography.

Eleanor Powell is given the leading role in the Broadway musical, which Taylor is producing, with Raymond Walburn as his backer. Walburn’s wife, Binnie Barnes, is jealous of Eleanor, and at the last moment forces her husband to withdraw his money from the show. However Eleanor’s horse wins a big race, and she turns over the purse to Taylor, so that the show can go on.

Direction, tops. Photography, fine.

August 17, 1939: The New York Premiere of The Wizard of Oz took place at the Capitol Theater. Judy and Mickey Rooney gave 26-minute (approximately) stage shows between screenings of the film. The duo gave five shows a day during the week, between seven showings of the film, and seven shows per day on the weekends between nine showings of the film! They performed from mid-morning until midnight.

Judy’s songs in the show included: “The Lamp is Low”; “Comes Love”; “Good Morning” (with Mickey); “God’s Country” (with Mickey); and “Oceans Apart” which Mickey co-wrote and Judy recorded for Decca Records during her next recording session with them on October 16, 1939. Unfortunately, no recordings of this show were made.

This engagement grossed $100,000 in its first week, with the duo performing to approximately 38,000 people per day, give or take.

“Variety,” said for their show: “It’s grade-A showmanship by both kids: they’re young, fresh, and on the upbeat in the public’s affection and imagination – a tousle-haired imp, and a cute, clean-cut girl with a smash singing voice and style.”

August 17, 1940: This photo was snapped of Judy emerging from her dressing room on the set of Little Nellie Kelly. The scenes filmed on this day were those on the “Interior Kelly Flat” set. Time called: 11 a.m.; dismissed: 6:04 p.m.

August 17, 1946: Judy took part in the second annual Motion Picture Academy program with a host of other stars. No details about the show are known aside from what’s printed in these ads, including the fact that Judy was scheduled to sing “The Trolley Song.” Included in that last ad is an ad for a Los Angeles stage production of The Wizard of Oz featuring the music from the MGM film. This is possibly the first time a separate stage version using the MGM music was produced. Donna Lee O’Leary played the role of Dorothy.

August 17, 1948: Two reviews of The Pirate. They’re both good examples of the mixed responses the film received. Most critics and audiences enjoyed the film overall in spite of the fact that it was more “artsy” than what they were used to in a musical and the songs (excepting “Be A Clown”) were below par for a Cole Porter score. In the first review, some of the differences between the original play and film are noted, and Gilbert Kanour liked Judy’s dancing more than her acting!

Meanwhile, Easter Parade was breaking box office records and proving to be the big his of the season.

August 17, 1958: Dorothy Kilgallen reported on a biography book deal. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

August 17, 1963: The photo of Judy sitting on daughter Liza Minnelli’s lap was making the rounds. Here it’s part of a nice photo spread. The photos were taken during the taping of the dress rehearsal and final taping of “Episode Three” of “The Judy Garland Show” on July 16, 1963, and July 16, 1963. Click on those links to see more photos.

August 17, 1966: Judy opened at the El Patio Nightclub in Mexico City, Mexico. This was Judy’s Mexican singing debut.

The run was scheduled for two weeks (12 days and 14 performances) for a large cash payment at the end of every show (so as not to be traced by the IRS): $17,500 a week, a guaranteed $35,000; Judy expected to gain a net of $20,750, after expenses. Judy sang over 21 songs per show with a 50-piece orchestra during the 90-minute performance, even though her contract stated that she need only do a 30-minute show. Judy received rave reviews. Unfortunately, no recording was made of any of these shows.

Photo: Judy performing at The El Patio on opening night.

August 17, 1967: Here are tickets to Judy at the Palace for this night, courtesy of the collection of Bobby Waters. Thanks, Bobby! Judy only had 9 nights left to this, her last, Palace engagement.

August 17, 1989: Two articles about the 50th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and the various products being released, chiefly the special edition VHS and laserdisc and the official 50th-anniversary book.